Autonomous vehicles, such as vehicles that do not require a human driver, can be used to aid in the transport of passengers or items from one location to another. Such vehicles may operate in a fully autonomous mode where passengers may provide some initial input, such as a destination, and the vehicle maneuvers itself to that destination. Thus, such vehicles may be largely dependent on systems that are capable of determining the location of the autonomous vehicle at any given time, as well as detecting and identifying objects external to the vehicle, such as other vehicles, stop lights, pedestrians, etc. As an example, these systems may include sensors, such as laser scanning equipment and cameras, mounted at various locations on the vehicle.
In some instances, various optical deterrents, such as dust, dirt, and debris, can accumulate on the surface of housings for such sensors. These deterrents may occlude the sensors, can reduce the accuracy and reliability of information generated by the sensors. This, in turn, may impact the safe maneuvering of such vehicles.